Great Alaskan cruise on the Star, 9/12-19
Hi all, we just got back last night from our cruise to Alaska, and I wanted to throw my review out there for anyone who may be interested.
We went out to Seattle a day early, since we know we like the town and didn't want to worry about getting in on time Saturday morning. As usual, Seattle weather didn't disappoint us, Friday was beautiful. Our hotel let us check in super-early, then we got brunch and walked around the waterfront area. After a nap, we went to Serious Pie for dinner. If you love pizza, try this place!!
Saturday morning, we walked the 3 blocks to Pier 66 to drop off our bags (I kept my carry-on) and went to brunch. We went to board the ship at around 12:30, and things really did run smoothly. It's obvious these folks have done this before! We were on the boat with our champagne, taking pictures, by 1:00. At 1:30, the announcement was made that the cabins were ready. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the cabin (a balcony BE), and the bathroom. Not huge, but just fine. Balcony was great, very private. No bags were waiting, but I unpacked my carry-on, and in the next couple hours my boyfriend's two bags were delivered. Not my suitcase. Hmmmm. At 4:00, we went up on deck to watch the sail-away. At 4:30, I was really stressing about my suitcase (thank heavens for my carry-on!), so we went back to the room. No bag. By 5:00, when we saw they weren't delivering bags anymore, I went to Reception and asked at what point I should panic about my bag. The girl made a phone call, and said my bag had just been delivered. Great! Got back to the room, and no joy. So I called Reception, and she said she would call the dock supervisor. At this point, I'm picturing my cruise with my one change of clothes. Then, our room steward delivered my bag!! Yay! Once I told him he was now my favorite person, I was all smiles again. Went to Aqua for dinner, and it was nice. Not fabulous, but certainly not bad. We tried out the hot tub that night, and found out that they are not hot! 98 degrees is not what you want on a chilly night at sea. But, we had fun and it made me glad I'd brought some warm lounging clothes!!
Sunday was a day at sea. We had coffee on the balcony, and went to the Jazz Brunch at Soho. We explored the ship, read in the library, had martinis in the Pearl Martini Bar, and went back to Soho for dinner. Very yummy!
Monday was Ketchiken, we had a floatplane excursion to the Misty Fjords. Absolutely beautiful. Great weather, fabulous views, and when we landed on the lake and got out of the plane, the silence was incredible!! We walked around town, had a tasty lunch at Annabelle's Keg & Chowder House, bought souveniers, and were on our way by 4:00 or so. Cagney's for dinner, I had crab legs and BF had prime rib. Very yummy, and my first "two dessert" request.
Tuesday was Juneau, and we had a hike scheduled. Not my favorite, since I'm not even remotely athletic, but my boyfriend is very outdoorsy, so we went. Rather tough for me, as alot of it was straight up, but the views were great and we got some terrific pictures. No time in town though. Weather was slightly cool but not rainy, perfect for hiking. Tuesday afternoon was the cruise through the Tracey Arm. We were so glad to have a balcony!! It was fabulous, peaceful, beautiful, and frankly the air smelled so great and fresh! We went to Le Bistro for dinner, another winner. And another two desserts. Crepes Suzette and chocolate fondue, both delicious.
Wednesday in Skagway was my excursion choice, a helicopter ride up to the glacier. Just amazing. I have now walked on a glacier! I'm glad we chose the excursions that we did, because we saw things we would never be able to see otherwise, or in any other place. Dinner in La Trattoria, it was fine.
Thursday we went to the Taste of India buffet, then my boyfriend went to the gym, and I went to the spa. We had our first bad weather day, and since our Prince Rupert excursion had been canceled, we decided not to leave the ship. I relaxed in the martini bar, then we went to Cagney's for dinner. This time, he had the crab legs, and I had a steak. Really really good! I had three steaks all week, in three different restaurants, and all three were great, cooked exactly as I requested.
Thursday night the rough seas started, to the point of actually rolling us around in our bed. Fortunately, between my ginger pills and dramamine, I never did get seasick. I would rather take a pill a day and not get sick, then get sick and try to get rid of it!
Friday we went to the Jazz Brunch, and just relaxed and roamed the ship (inside, since the weather was still quite bad and the ship was really rocking!). For dinner we went to the Versailles main dining room. Again, just fine. I liked Aqua better, because it was smaller and quieter, but the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of Versailles was great.
Sadly, Saturday morning was the end of our cruise. We carried our bags off the ship since we were again staying the night in Seattle, stored our bags at our hotel, and went to brunch. After a great dinner and a night's sleep where we still felt a bit like we were rocking on the ship, we flew home to DC Sunday night. And I can't wait to get my pics developed!!
We found the service onboard to be very very good, many of our service folks remembered us and were always glad to see us again. When we went to the Indian buffet for lunch, our waiter was from India and seemed very proud of the food at the buffet, and wanted to give us a tour (and the food was very good!). Afternoon snacks in the Market Cafe was a really nice feature, and my boyfriend was so happy with the ice cream station!
Because not everything is perfect, and I want to give a balanced review, there were some less than great things. Mainly, smoking. Not that people shouldn't be allowed to smoke, it's their vacation too, but just be aware that people can smoke in their staterooms, and if that room is right next to yours, you will be able to smell it. And the casino is super-smokey. In fact, we never went to the casino because it was soooo smokey! And since it's not enclosed, the smoke smell is in that whole area of the ship. Just be forewarned.
Sorry for the long post, but since I read so many helpful reviews and tips on CruiseCritic.com, I wanted to share my experience. Thanks!
chefsk
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September 21st, 2009, 06:16 PM
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